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City presents 2024 National Community Survey: 15% response, mixed ratings with gains on economy and public safety
Summary
The city presented results from the 2024 National Community Survey: 737 responses (15% response rate). Staff highlighted improvements in economic perceptions and public safety since 2022, while utilities, parks and street lighting rated lower than prior surveys and national benchmarks.
City staff presented the 2024 National Community Survey results to the council on March 4. The survey was mailed to a random sample of 5,000 Kingman households; 737 residents responded for a 15% response rate.
Staff reported several upward trends compared with the prior survey two years earlier: residents’ ratings of the local economy and economic health rose (one measure increased by as much as 66% for certain economic-development perceptions), mobility indicators improved, and perceptions of public safety—particularly fire prevention and disaster preparedness—showed notable gains. Staff said the city saw increases in responses that residents would recommend Kingman as a place to work and that they perceived improvements in opportunities for education, culture and the arts.
Areas of decline included utility services (billing and electric/gas rate perceptions), city parks (with an 11-point decline on some measures though a majority still reported satisfaction with parks), and street lighting (a roughly 15-point decline). Residents identified water-resource sustainability, a comprehensive street maintenance and repair program, and housing affordability/availability as the top three priorities for improving quality of life in Kingman.
On funding, survey respondents showed greater willingness for a project-specific bond (about 40% in favor) than for a general sales-tax or property-tax increase (roughly 29–31% somewhat supportive). In custom questions, residents ranked a multipurpose event space and pools/aquatic facilities as the most important potential recreation amenities.
Staff noted caveats: the survey’s response rate is down from previous years (2019 was 26%) and some ratings remain below national benchmarks, but the city recorded multiple positive trends over the two-year comparison.
What comes next: The council received the report; staff said the results will inform priorities such as water sustainability, street maintenance and recreational planning and will be used in budget and capital planning discussions.
